SERIES HO 17, 18 & 19
INFORMATION ON SERIES OF DOCUMENTS
Series
HO 17, 18 & 19
Title
HO 17: Home Office: Criminal Petitions, Series I 1819-1858
HO 18: Home Office: Criminal Petitions, Series II 1839-1854
HO 19: Home Office: Registers of Criminal Petitions 1797-1853
Structure
Size/Scope
Petitions arranged in bundles, each with a coded alphabetical reference (apart
from HO 17/1), and papers are numbered within each bundle. Petitions are
indexed by registers in HO 19, which are arranged alphabetically by name of
convict and give the coded reference mentioned above. In HO 17 Pieces 1, 8, 9,
11, 14, 20, 22, 34, 39, 46, and 50 have been catalogued to item level.
Approximately 502,560 images in total
HO 17 comprises 131 bundles and HO 18 comprises 381 bundles.
HO 19 comprises 12 bound volumes with an average of 130 single pages per
volume.
Original petitions made by convicted persons or their friends, relations etc.
seeking the revocation or reduction of their sentences. Attached to some
petitions are related papers and some returns, made by the governors of convict
prisons, of convicts recommended for early release for good behaviour. Each
petition in each bundle details the following information: Name of Convicted
Prisoner, Crime Committed, Date of Sentence, Original Sentence, Name(s) of
Petitioner(s), Grounds for Clemency. In many cases outcome of pleas for
clemency recorded (Commuted Sentence, Free Pardon etc.) Majority of petitions
concern the one convict but many are petitions for more than one individual.
10% sample: Some petitions have upwards of 100 images, others less than 6.
Approx. average of 15 images per petition.
For HO 17 roughly 110 petitions in each bundle totalling approximately 14,400
petitions and with HO 18 there roughly 19,011 items in total with
approximately15 images per item.
Physical Format
and Condition
HO 17 and HO 18 are loose papers, some pinned and some tied with string.
They are arranged in bundles, so much of the paper is folded over leading to
creases on the documents. Each bundle for pieces HO 17 1- 79 has been rehoused in envelopes and name itemised on those envelopes. Sizes for each
page can differ.
Popularity
Between 1st January 2009 and 31 December 2009 these 3 series of records
were requested in the reading rooms at The National Archives some 456 times.
In a package with other related material it is expected to be of even greater
interest to the public. Popularity would also be greatly increased by improved
ease of access.
Tracing 19th and 20th Century Criminals
Research Guide
Possible areas
for indexing
Sources for Convicts and Prisoners
Full Convict Name, Crime, Date of Sentence, Names of Petitioners
Whilst The National Archives endeavours to ensure that the information is correct, in no event shall The National Archives be
responsible for any loss or damage of any kind arising out of access to or reliance on or use of any information. This document is
intended to provide guidance only and it is recommended that personal research of the records be undertaken